September 3, 2021
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Fun fact: the foot contains 26 bones, 14 of which are in the toes – and you can break any one of them!
The warning signs (mainly pain) of a toe fracture usually show up well beforehand, so it would be wise to heed them. When a toe is fractured, it will also show bruising and bad swelling, and cause pain during standing and walking.
Toe fractures can be either non-displaced or displaced. Non-displaced fractures mean that the bone has a break in it, but the two ends are still in contact with each other, whereas a displaced fracture has the broken ends of the bone shifted away from each other.
A toe fracture occurs when any of the toe bones is damaged. Common causes include:
Terrible pain aside, if left untreated, a toe fracture may eventually progress to arthritis and toe deformities. Fortunately, they do not usually require surgical intervention unless they are serious. It is usually enough simply to make sure that the toe bones are not displaced further with casts or splints and resting the affected foot adequately so as to prevent the injury from getting worse. Anti-inflammatory medicines may also be prescribed.
Based in Singapore, Degree in Podiatric Medicine from the University of Johannesburg. Published in The Foot and member of The Golden Key Honour Society.
